Serve confirms delivery through robot expansion plans with Gen3 rollout

The last time we checked in with Serve Robotics, the Uber-backed company was teaming up with Alphabet’s Wing for a robot-to-drone delivery service in Dallas. That was with Serve’s Gen2 bot, but a faster, smarter and more robust model has just been launched.

Serve Robotics’ third-generation delivery robot comes with five times more processing power than before thanks to NVIDIA’s Jetson Orin module, which is capable of making “ultra-fast decisions” using the new Ouster REV7 LiDAR up-top plus “major upgrades to the robot’s sensor suite.”

The hardware is complemented by the company’s latest and greatest AI architecture. This should deliver faster execution of autonomous navigation decisions, as well as improved reaction times for collision avoidance and emergency braking during delivery.

This is probably just as well considering a 60% increase in engine-powered top speed to 11 mph (4.9 m/s). Larger wheels, built-in suspension and increased water resistance are also incorporated – which “increases the robot’s ability to confidently maneuver in a wider range of weather conditions.”

Serve robotics

The larger bot also features 67% more battery capacity than the previous generation, for up to 14 hours of use per charge or 47 miles of Level 4 autonomous operation before needing to be plugged in. And rounding out the major improvements is a 15% increase in loading capacity, which is considered sufficient for four 16-inch pizzas instead of the Gen2’s four 14-inchers.

“Producing an advanced robot that can travel faster and further, while using five times more AI and cutting costs in half, is a true engineering achievement,” said Serve’s CEO and co-founder, Dr. Ali Kashani. “I am proud of what our team has achieved with our third-generation robot, which is the result of years of tireless efforts. Our new robot significantly reduces Serve costs and puts it ahead of the competition while we are bringing one of the largest to the market.” autonomous fleets in the country in the coming months.”

Serve says the much-improved delivery bot will support its expansion plans in the US. This will start with the thousands of Gen3 delivery bots deployed on the Uber Eats platform starting next year. The video below has more.

Source: Serve Robotics